Mass Effect a Genius Rises
by Jonas Copperwire
Summary: This time around, Shepard is a genius and a corporate Industrialist with a sad past in the military but when humanity needs someone to fill the role of human Spectre... A very technical version of Mass Effect, exploring old and new technologies some which you are familiar with some you will see in a new way but i will not abandon the character development you all fell in love with.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note: Yes, I am rebooting my "Genius rises" Fanfiction after numerous complaints in regards to the formatting of the first version and how Shepard was a "Mary Sue" of sorts. This version still plays off the idea that Shepard has a "Tony Stark-like" mind but has a pretty dark past that, while familiar to many of you, is a little more elaborated on.**

It was time to choose a candidate for the position of Council Spectre. The conference room was full of representatives from Earth and her colonies all bringing their respective candidates to the table. Rare was it that the Alliance military and the Alliance embassy met to agree on something and in this delicate matter it was not going well.

"What about Colonel Fredrich Heidrich?" Suggested the representative from Germany.

"The only thing that soldier has in terms of "outstanding" is the number of times he has arrived on duty with alcohol on his breath." Said Captain Anderson.

"What about Major Ferren Cho?" suggested another representative.

"A man affectionately named "the robot?" No, we need someone a little less rigid. We are looking for more than just combat capability, we are looking for someone with better social skills than your average soldier." Said Anderson.

Undina quietly listened to everyone, which was unusual for the politician. This back-and-forth had been going on for hours and it had become an exhausting endeavor. Udina casually scrolled through his console looking at the Citadel news when something caught his eye. He watched the report for a few minutes routing the audio to his earpiece before he transferred it to the conference room's main screen:" … _Citadel Council has entered into a private session concerning a requested military expansion of the hanar. Earlier this week when engaging in talks with Dr. Ivan Shepard about their technological trade, the human scientist suggested that they expand their role in the galaxy in a big way with the expansion of its navy. Dr. Shepard, who is the co-CEO of the company Vulcan Heavy Industries, has long been a promoter of unrestricted interspecies technological innovation since exploding onto the scene three years ago. With his partner Dr. Eldim Xaal, a rare krogan scientist, they have taken numerous industries by storm including shipbuilding, industrial manufacturing, VI systems, weapons development, power systems, and numerous other industries. The proposal was headed by the Illuminated Primacy at the encouragement of Dr. Shepar…"_

Udina paused the scene," Well, what about Shepard?"

"Shepard is not a soldier, he is a defense contractor." Said the representative from Africa.

"Actually, Shepard served with the Alliance five years back as one of our best combat Engineers." Said Anderson.

"If that was the case, why have we heard nothing about him during his time of service?" Asked the representative from Germany.

Anderson pulled up the associated dossier," According to his file, he had a nack for finding the most practical solutions to given problems. The end results of his action were usually the greatest effectiveness over utilized resources and the lack of attention he drew to himself. He was also known for being a kind and caring man, solving problems on the social level as well as the technological."

Intrigued, the Japanese representative asked," So, why is he not with the Alliance now?"

Admiral Hackett's face down-turned as he looked at the report," about four years eight months ago, his squad was running an investigation of a crash when his squad was attacked by a Thresher Maw... he was the only survivor. He mourned them but he could not effectively perform his duties with their deaths on his mind so he was to be discharged from the Alliance for medical reasons, however he was offered an Early Out. He took the Early Out option and was honorably discharged. The rest you already know."

"What about his combat capability?" Asked the German representative.

"He scored an Expert in his pistol certification, a Marksman on his assault rifle, and a regular for his other weapons qualifications." Said Anderson," Naturally being a combat engineer, he is more than capable of using an omni-tool to great effect."

"So are we in agreement?" Asked Udina.

"Wait. We are assuming much about the man when we come to this decision." Said the British representative," How do we know he would be willing to do this at all? His company is skyrocketing and he is clearly making a fortune. Why would he leave all that to become a Spectre?"

"He does not need to." Said Udina," Spectres are actually encouraged to pay for their own equipment and with Shepard being a defense contractor he can cut out the middleman and manufacture what he needs. So, any other objections?"

He was met with silence.

"I'll make the call." Said Ambassador Udina as the meeting was adjourned.

"LOOK OUT!" Shepard yelled as he tackled a vorcha engineer just as a high-pressure steam valve blew in the area they just occupied.

He got up and extended his arm. A silver/green omni-tool with rotating and shifting matrices composed of complex polygons appeared around his wrist. Several metal blocks mounted on Shepard's back were melted and streamed directly to the breach, followed immediately by a precise application of a cryo blast combined with mass effect fields to rapidly and precisely align the alloy's structure.

He extended a hand to the fallen vorcha and helped him to his feet. The vorcha went back to his station while Shepard's industrial Omni-tool restored the scientist's personal supply of raw material from nearby storage blocks. Shepard jogged along the cavernous room's scaffolding towards an outreach that was the primary control center for the area. Waiting in the middle, was a krogan in an exoskeleton with an integrated lab coat similar to the one Shepard wore, including their patented omni-goggles. The krogan was very old, which was indicated by the his aged long-grown head plate, by how he leaned on his sledge hammer cane, and the hiss of hydraulics for his reinforced exoskeleton. What was more, the krogan had a fully prosthetic mechanical left arm.

The krogan walked over to another control panel. He slipped his omni-goggles onto his head plate, pulled a pair of pince-nez glasses out of a pocket, and onto his nose. Shepard approached the krogan.

"We nearly lost a technician this time but only thirteen breaches as opposed to the forty-seven of last time." Said Shepard to his Krogan colleague.

"Now we need to install the eight mass effect cores and test their networked capacity with the power generated by the reactor section." Said Xaal.

"Problem. We have only enough Eezo for three cores." Said Shepard.

"Blast! What is the status of us expanding into the mining industry?" Asked the frustrated Krogan.

"We are still simulating several new mining techniques and technologies but we have manufactured several of those that passed tests and training several employees in their use." Said Shepard.

"The new equipment passed safety checks?" Asked Xaal.

"All of them." Affirmed Shepard.

The krogan removed his Pince-nez glasses and rubbed his eyes with his organic hands.

"Let us call it a day while the HLAs rectify the problems." Suggested Shepard.

"Alright." The Krogan leaned on his cane as he walked towards the exit. Shepard shut everything down with a wave of his Omni-tool. The two of them walked through the attached facility to reach the station that housed many trains. They had their own private train while the workers had their own commuter. Their locomotive was a redesigned Union Pacific Steam Locomotive with a fusion reactor, magnetic bearings and a streamlined body shape.

The locomotive left the station not long after the two scientist's boarded and quickly built up speed thanks to their redesign. Shepard looked out the window at the Noveria's snowy landscape.

"So," asked Xaal sipping coffee served to him by a salarian butler," How are your projects going?"

"The Duren'sez is undergoing its shakedown run, I have nearly worked all the bugs out of the shipborne Omni-Factory." Said Shepard.

"I overheard one of our research staff talking about you buying Synthetic Insights or petitioning the Council for the rights to develop and research AI. I take it you are finished with Overseer?" Asked Xaal.

"Yes all his code has been checked and double-checked, all he needs is to be turned on." Said Shepard.

"I will have a chat with the board and see about making that happen." Said Xaal.

"The Asari are attempting to defund our research into the Mass Relays." Said Shepard.

"All Asari or someone in particular?" Asked Xaal.

"Some matriarchs who are followers of something called the "Athame Doctrine." I think I can persuade the Enkindler Research Group to pick up the slack." Said Shepard.

"I am still shocked as to how you have made the hanar come out of their shell. Now they are starting to move up in the galaxy. However, I am curious how you were able to convince them that actually doing in-depth studies into Prothean artifacts is not defacing or desecrating to their religion." Said Xaal.

"The key is to understand their line of thinking and then use logic based upon that understanding to basically tell them that if the Protheans gave them language to express themselves then why not the artifacts for them to divine the secrets of the galaxy? Once you get them to open their minds to the possibility, the sky's the limit." Said Shepard.

"Indeed." Said Xaal as he sipped his coffee. His prosthetic arm reached to the side of his chair and pulled an old fashioned book out of a slot. The book bore the gold letters of "Holy Bible" on the cover.

"Shall we?" Asked the krogan.

Shepard closed his console and turned to face his colleague with a smile," We shall. Now to day is the 12th so that would put us in Proverbs 12 today..."

An hour later, when the train had reached Port Hanshan,the two scientists took a lift up to mezzanine. They exited and crossed the plaza to another lift that took them to Vulcan Heavy Industries main office. In a tank was their hanar secretary.

"Anything new, Fyrol?" Asked Shepard.

"Upon your train pulling into the station, I took the liberty of brewing a fresh batch of coffee..." started the hanar.

"Excellent, lemme at it." Said Xaal as he shambled over to a complex array of pumps, boilers, and pipes that was the office coffee machine. Xaal reached up and opened several valves and started up the mixing pump which incorporated irish cream, rum, and Ryncol with the coffee. The delicious smelling brew was dispensed into the krogan scientist's large mug.

"Also, you have an appointment with Captain Anderson who is waiting in your office." Said the hanar.

"Very well." Shepard pulled down his own mug and opened a single valve. A hiss of steam cleared the spigot of Xaal's brew and straight black coffee emerged. Xaal shook his head and followed Shepard to their shared office.

Inside the Alliance Captain got up from the chair in front of Shepard's desk opposite of that was Xaal's desk. The cavernous room was dominated by the irised-open window to Noveria's snowy landscape.

"Captain, welcome" Said Shepard as he shook the Captain's hand. He then gestured for the Captain to sit while he sat down at his desk with his coffee. Automatically, several screens popped up with schematics and reports. Shepard shut down the one between him and Anderson.

"So, what can Vulcan Heavy Industries do for the Alliance today?" Asked Shepard.

"As you no doubt know the Alliance has been pushing to have a human in the ranks of the Council Spectres for years in order to have more say with the council..." Started Anderson.

"Ah. So what does your spectre need? A ship? Armor? Omni-tools? Weapons?" Asked Shepard as he turned sideways to bring up a list of the mentioned items as he took another drink of his coffee.

"Actually, we need you. You are the primary Spectre candidate." Said Anderson bluntly.

Coffee spewed out of Shepard's mouth as he whipped back to look at Anderson," WHHHAAATTTTT?!"

"Your record speaks for itself, you are best qualified for the position." Continued Anderson.

"But i am not in the military anymore, I am now a scientist and the partner CEO to one of the largest growing industrial companies in the galaxy, I cannot afford to go cavorting about at the whim of the Council just to satisfy the Alliance's political agenda."said Shepard as he rose, leaning on his desk.

"Shepard, humanity needs this. And while your efforts as a scientist and industrialist have brought humanity new levels of economic growth and technological innovation, humanity wants a larger political role in the galaxy. If they are willing to accept a Spectre into their ranks it show how far humanity has come." Said Anderson.

"Shepard.. a word ?" Xaal called and gestured for his colleague to come over.

"Excuse me." Shepard straightened up and walked over to his friend's desk, out of earshot of Anderson," What?"

"It is perfect." Said Xaal with a smile Shepard knew all too well. It was a smile Xaal got on his face when he had something devious in mind.

"Me becoming a Spectre? Do tell…" Said Shepard, wondering what the krogan scientist was getting at.

"Think about it… Spectres operate above the law and they are often sent on mission throughout the galaxy. The new opportunities for our company could expand that much more. You don't have to jump through endless hoops to activate Overseer. As a Spectre you can just straight up turn him on." Explained Xaal.

"...And I can scout out for the raw materials you need to finish the Nautilus…" Said Shepard as he rolled his eyes.

"Well… that too… " Said Xaal with a smile.

Shepard sighed," Well, I cannot argue the advantage of such a position, i still have to wonder if the Council would try to use that position against us by ordering to me to make corporate decisions."

"Even as a Spectre, they could not do that to you. Any mission they send you on has to be for the good of the galaxy, a stabilizing agent as it were." Said Xaal.

"And what if they decide that it would "stabilize" the galaxy if you were removed from the picture? You know how much the salarian government hates you just for being what you are." Asked Shepard.

"HA. Like those pyjaks have enough spine to ask such a thing of the Council especially with how big we are in the public eye, not to mention having thwarted... how many assassination attempts?" Asked Xaal.

"The latest count being 158 this year thus far… including the one from this morning." Said Shepard rubbing his forehead," Which excludes corporate sabotage attempts."

"Another couple of reason why you need to get out there and get me what I need to finish Nautilus." Said Xaal as he grabbed another cup of coffee off a nearby tray only to pour it down a nearby garbage disposal after smelling it," 159."

"Fine. You better keep me up-to-date on everything. Am I clear?" Said Shepard.

"Crystal." Said Xaal with a smile.

Shepard walked back over to Anderson," Alright Captain, how shall we proceed?"

Anderson smiled," Meet me at Arcturus Station and we will begin from there."

"Very well." Said Shepard as he took Anderson's hand.

Yet something was nagging at the back of Shepard's mind: _Why me?_


	2. Chapter 2

It had been years since Shepard had last strode through Arcturus station, headquarters of the Alliance military. Waves of nostalgia filled his mind as he recalled his feelings of wonder when he first arrived on the station to begin his training, while simultaneously remembering the sadness of having to leave the Alliance, due to his nearly unbearable sorrow of watching his squad die. Shepard absent-mindedly felt the folded form of his experimental pistol from that day hidden up his sleeve.

Shepard shook those memories off, and strode boldly through the station. Thought he felt quite safe in the Alliance station, the number of assassination attempts he faced on a regular basis was the reason he wore his custom armor. It resembled no armor in existence as its style resembled a blend of the latest in advanced armors with the style of the Victorian era, a taste both him and Xaal shared. It featured several layers of neuro-circuitry, insulated power systems and expensive alloys. The effect was akin to an high tech Inverness cape coat with the cape concealing the high tech suit. He carried his top hat under his arm.

Many personnel stopped to stare at Shepard as he walked through the station. Shepard wore corrective glasses that appeared like normal glasses but integrated with some of the most advanced micro circuitry in the galaxy and synchronized with his suit. They displayed information on everyone that entered his perception, which in the case of Alliance headquarters covered rank and record. His glasses highlighted an unknown and immediately scanned through multiple frequencies.

Shepard leaned against a railing looking over a lounge area facing a view of space through a wide open window.

"Beautiful view, is it not, Nihlus?" Said Shepard.

Many onlookers were suddenly surprised when a turian became visible.

"No matter how many improvements turian engineers make, you can still spot me." Said Nihlus Kryik, one of the Council's top Spectres.

"Maybe you should commission Vulcan Industries to work on your personal cloak." Said Shepard with a smile.

Nihlus gave off the Turina equivalent of a smirk. " How did I get caught in the middle of this science war between the Hierarchy and your company?" Asked Nihlus.

"Well, an assassin after me and Xaal, swiped it from the Turian development labs on Palaven, then when he attempted to walk right through the front door, my scanning array saw right through him. When we removed it from him, we found an icon on it indicating who made it…" Said Shepard.

"...and that exposed a whole different line of security risks, including using the technology anywhere scanners bearing the Vulcan Industries logo was concerned." finished Nihlus.

The two of them shared a slight laugh.

"So… Nihlus… You are to be my evaluator for Spectre candidacy?"Asked Shepard,

"More of a formality, as you recall your involvement in several of my mission." Said Nihlus.

"Involuntary." Pointed out Shepard," You dragged me in each and everyone of those."

"Maybe but when everything went to hell, you salvaged it with your intellect and skills. You are a Spectre already in my book." Said Nihlus as he gestured for the scientist to follow him.

"I appreciate the vote of confidence but I would rather dedicate my efforts to Vulcan Heavy Industries and the development of new technology." Said Shepard as he followed the by the Spectre's side.

"Well, think of this as a new business opportunity, my mentor invests in Binary Helix. The result is that Binary Helix gets a stock boost from having a Council Spectre as one of their primary shareholders and he gets a large return to fund his missions. A mutually beneficial arrangement, wouldn't you say, Dr. Shepard?" Said Nihilus.

"So if I earn the right to become the first human Spectre, it will be a publicity boost to the company? I cannot believe I did not think about that." Said Shepard as what Nihlus told him hit him.

Nihilus laughed," Don't bury yourself so deep in work that you forget to look up and see the people you are working for."

"Indeed." Said Shepard," So… care to explain to me why you and I find ourselves at Alliance headquarters?"

"I assume you, having your sources, know about the co developed project between the Turians and the humans?" Asked Nihlus.

"The SSV Normandy, a ship that has a stealth capability by using heat sinks to temporarily capture the ship's heat emissions." Said Shepard flatly.

Nihlus stopped and Shepard turned to look at him with a casual expression on his face.

"Our respective governments needs to patch their respective intelligence agencies if you can get that amount of information." Said Nihlus.

"Do not go there Nihlus. The moment I heard rumors of a stealth ship, it was a combination of my technical understanding and deductive reasoning. As for the name… that was a combination of a guess and hearsay from of my friends in the military." Said Shepard.

"Shepard… you astound me." Laughed the turian.

Shepard and Nihlus did this back and forth banter like old friends as they moved through the station to the space dock where the Normandy was. Nihlus had come to the company a year prior, asking Vulcan Heavy Industries to enter the weapons manufacturing business and invested a half a million credits to get it started. Xaal had asked Shepard to take charge of the project as he was busy with several of his own. Shepard reaches out to several former military personnel from multiple species and several promising but underpaid researchers to aid in the development of these new weapons. Vulcan Heavy industries' precision factories produced a new type of weapon, one that was affordable, reliable, and easily modifiable. Militaries and gun lovers everywhere ate up the new weapons system, making the company grow that much more.

Shepard noticed several of his guns being carried by personnel on watch as they soon reached the dock for the Normandy Captain Anderson and a detachment of guards waited outside.

Anderson smiled when Shepard and Nihlus came into range," Shepard. Nihlus. Glad you could make it. Shepard, your personal HLA is down on the storage level."

"Good to know. Shall we get going?" Asked Shepard.

Anderson gestured for the pair to enter. Needing no further encouragement, they entered the Normandy through the decontamination airlock. The inner door to the Normandy opened to a lighted hive of activity. Shepard scanned every console as his glasses zoomed in on their displays while his mind assessed and analyzed their purpose in the ship's overall design. Anderson walked up to a very sophisticated console at the front of the frigate and addressed the person sitting there," Get us underway, Joker."

Flight Lieutenant Jeff "Joker" Moreau gained clearance from Arcturus control and he deftly maneuvered the frigate away from the dock. As soon as it was clear, the Normandy fired its anti-proton thrusters and sped its way to the Arcturus Prime Mass Relay.

Shepard turned away from the panel as he knew it would take a while to reach the relay. He decided to go and see if he could establish a connection to his corporate server. His suits internal VI, a highly advanced program a few lines of code short of being considered an AI, slipped into the Normandy's systems without notice and acquired the Normandy's crew roster. Shepard raised an eyebrow as he noticed that the prototype frigate was fully staffed, unusual for a supposed "shakedown run." The list that appeared in the main part of his vision scrolled down until it highlighted Charles Pressly, the ship's Executive Officer. Shepard looked up as the VI opened the file and scanned the faces within range for the officer.

It quickly spotted Pressly next to the experimental CIC, turian design. Shepard approached the man, who looked up from his duties and neutrally acknowledged Shepard's presence," Dr. Shepard, what can I do for you?"

"If it is all possible, could you set me up with a private data link? I need it just until we transit through the relay." Asked Shepard.

"Okay… give me a moment.." Pressly manipulated the console and moments later, Shepard's omni-tool beeped as he was connected.," There you go anything else, Dr.?" Asked Pressely.

"Is there somewhere I can sit that is not a ship's station?" Asked Shepard. He already had a good idea where the navigator was going to suggest but it would not be becoming for the scientist to demonstrate uncanny knowledge of the ship's internal layout, which he boarded not ten minutes ago.

Pressly pointed to a door perpendicular to the ship's port side with a marine guarding it,"Go through that door and take the stairs down and take a left. You will be facing an elevator, behind it is the ship's lounge." Said the Executive Officer.

"Thank you." Said Shepard as he moved to the door. The marine moved to block him only for Pressly to wave him through. He went through without further issue and followed the XO's directions to the ship's lounge.

Shepard sat down as his VI opened the connection to Vulcan Industries' server. Though he was technically travelling, Shepard liked to be kept up to date on the happenings of his company. The VI interpreted his neural patterns, his thoughts, and rapidly sorted information and executed commands as he rapidly took care of his corporate affairs. He approved development projects, examined and hired new personnel, fired others, examined his company's stock value bought other companies stock, and sold others. To the casual observer, it just appeared that Shepard was just staring into space.

Shepard soon became clear that someone had taken a seat across from the industrialist. Some of the files he was reading moved to the sides of his glasses as he focused on the individual across from him.

"Hello." Said Shepard with a friendly smile.

"H….Hello," said the man across from him nervously," Are you Dr. Ivan Shepard, the new Rockefeller of our era?"

Shepard laughed," Is that what humanity thinks of me as these days? Yes, I am Dr. Ivan Shepard. Who are you?" Asked Shepard.

"C...corporal Jenkins, sir." Said the marine as he saluted.

"Nice to meet you Jenkins but keep in mind i am a civilian, so you do not salute me." Explained Shepard.

"Right, sir. sorry, sir," Said Jenkins as his voice began to break.

"Relax, Jenkins. You are not on trial, we are just talking. " Said Shepard with a smile.

"Okay...Okay… Okay." Said Jenkins with a very excitable voice.

"For heaven's sake, Jenkins, breathe!" Exclaimed Shepard.

Jenkins took a deep breath. "Sorry, sir. It is just so exciting to meet you." Said Jenkins with a broad smile.

"I take it you are a fan of my work then?" Asked Shepard with a slight smile.

"More of an admirer of what you have accomplished. It seemed everytime life tries to beat you down, you bounce back stronger than before. You go from a forcibly separated soldier to one of the greatest Industrialists in the galaxy!" Said Jenkins.

"It is not something I accomplished alone. Xaal gave me the knowledge to create, manage, and expand the company. Even then it is the talented and hard-working people, regardless of their race, that makes the company great. And above all that is my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who helps me daily deal with the issues I face every day." Said Shepard with all frankness.

"I heard you were deeply religious but It is very encouraging to see it first hand." Said Jenkins.

"Oh, you are a Christian then?" Asked Shepard.

"My family is baptist." Said Jenkins with a look of nostalgia.

"Mine was Reformed Baptist." Said Shepard.

" _Approaching the Arcturus Prime Relay."_ Said Joker over the Normandy's 1MC.

"Well, I better head up to the Bridge. It was nice talking to you." Said Shepard politely as he stood up.

While he walked, he resumed dealing with his business. It was moments later he found himself adjacent to Nihlus.

"Entering the relay in 5... 4... 3... 2... 1..." The Normandy entered the massless corridor of space the relay opened up.

The connection to his corporate server was cut off for a short time as the Normandy quickly exited the relay and entered its own individual FTL towards their destination, which Shepard's earpiece picked up to possibly be Eden Prime. Before his connection closed, his VI had the prudence to dig for some information on the Alliance colony. It was supposedly quite beautiful but relatively uninteresting. He did note that there was some archaeological digs occurring on the planet.

 _Hmmmm, fully staffed prototype stealth frigate heading towards a relatively uninteresting colony along the border of the Terminus, whose only notable contribution is a Prothean archeological dig,_ Shepard thought to himself. His VI apparently reached the same conclusion as it displayed it own data on the subject: **Strong likelihood of active Prothean artifact on supposed destination: Eden prime.**

"...Drift just under 1500 k." Said joker as he finished running through the Normandy's operations.

"1500 is good. Your captain will be pleased." Said Nihlus as he left to deliver his report on the Normandy's systems. The Spectre shrugged as he passed him by.

 _So as far as the crew knows this is just a shakedown run... better play along until final confirmation._ Thought Shepard.

"I hate that guy." Commented Joker with a tone of disdain.

"Nihlus gave you a compliment, so you hate him." Stated Staff Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko, attempting to follow Joker's logic.

"Remember how to use a bathroom? Because I just jumped us across the galaxy to hit a target the size of a pinhead, so that's incredible." Said Joker turning his attention to the Industrialist.

"Oh yes, the bathroom, the elevator, the door, how to balance the Tantalus Drive core, how to build a dreadnought, and how to manage and expand a multi-billion (soon to be trillion) credit company." Said Shepard plainly.

Joker was about to retort when Kaiden interrupted," Don't try it, Joker, he is way out of your league."

Joker returned his attention to Nihlus," Besides, Spectre's are trouble. I don't like having him on board. Call me paranoid."

"You're paranoid. The Council helped fund this project. They have a right to send someone to key an eye on their investment." Said Alenko.

"Yeah, that is the official story but only an idiot believes the official story." Said Joker.

 _A smart alec yet very aware. Perhaps a probe to see how much he knows and how much he speculates._ Thought Shepard.

"What makes you say that?" Asked Shepard.

"Well you don't send Spectres and one of the galaxy's biggest businessman on a shakedown run." Said Joker.

"A shakedown run of the first starship with stealth capabilities being overseen by a Spectre who can vouch for the prototype if it succeeds and as a galactic defense contractor, i can build more for cheaper and faster." Suggested Shepard.

Lieutenant Alenko took the bait," That makes sense. I can see how a Spectre would want to use such a ship. And why you would be invited, sir."

"I don't buy it. It still doesn't explain why we have a full crew for a shakedown run and the Captain is being very hush hush about why we are going to Eden Prime. That is where all this does not make any sense." Said Joker skeptically.

 _While he is definitely speculating, he is no idiot... could be very useful._ Thought Shepard.

Anderson's voice interrupted Shepard's thought process through the X1J," _Joker! Status report."_

"Just cleared the mass relay, Captain. Stealth systems engaged. Everything looks solid." Reported Joker.

" _Good. Find a comm buoy and link us into the network. I want mission reports relayed directly back to Alliance brass before we reach Eden Prime."_ Ordered the Captain.

"Aye, Aye, Captain. Better brace yourself, sir. I think Nihlus is headed your way." Warned Joker.

" _He's already here, lieutenant."_ Said Captain Anderson with a note of irritation. Shepard chuckled

" _Request Dr. Shepard to meet me in the comm room for debriefing."_ instructed Anderson.

"You get that, sir?" Asked Joker to Shepard.

"Got it." Shepard executed a perfect about-face and walked towards the comm room.

Shepard walked by the XO to the comm room located back behind the galaxy map.

When he entered he found only Nihlus.

Shepard looked around the room with his Omni-glasses, then back to Nihlus," Okay I give up. Where did you put the Captain?"

Nihlus laughed," He will be here soon but I was hoping to have a word with you before he got here."

"Oh? What about?" Asked Shepard. Nihlus frequently visited him and Xaal for their premium equipment and had good conversations in the process, so him wanting to speak to Shepard in this particular manner was somewhat unusual.

"I'm interested in this world we're going to - Eden Prime. I've heard it's quite beautiful." Said Nihlus.

"Thinking about investing in a joint human/ turian colony? If you are, I could probably pull a few strings to make that happen." Said Shepard as he thought about exploiting Eden Prime's beauty in the form of a luxury resort and utilizing the planets fertile soil to grow a variety of luxury crops.

"No, that is not what I am getting at. I am thinking more generally. Eden Prime has become something of a symbol for your people, hasn't it? Proof that humanity can not only establish colonies across the galaxy, but also protect them. But how safe is it, really?" Said Nihlus.

Shepard's entrepreneurial thought process stopped in its tracks and shifted to it defense assessment. _That is right, Eden Prime sits at the edge of the Terminus systems. While I do know there is a detachment of marines there at all times, I do not think there are many other defenses there... like Mindoir._ Shepard remembered the Skillian Blitz, how it's lack of planetary defenses made things difficult for ground forces. Shortly after establishing his company with Xaal, they filled the order for planetary defenses for his home planet Mindoir at a discount to prevent a future invasion as one of Vulcan Heavy Industries first contracts.

"Do you know something that I do not?" Asked Shepard, wondering if there was an impending attack on Eden Prime.

"Your people are still newcomers, Shepard. The galaxy can be a very dangerous place." Said Nihlus.

 _Oh great… he is doing a promotional for the Citadel… I do not watch mainstream news primarily to avoid advertisements…_ Thought Shepard as he rolled his eyes.

"Is the Alliance truly ready for this?" Asked Nihlus as he crossed his arms, looking at Shepard.

Before Shepard could generate a response his thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of Captain Anderson.

"I think it's about time we told the Doctor what's really going on." Announced the Captain.

"This mission is far more than a simple shake down run." Started Nihlus.

"Let me guess… we are covertly picking up a working prothean artifact from Eden Prime." Said Shepard bluntly.

Both the Captain and Nihlus jaws' dropped.

"Give me some credit gentlemen, I have not become an Industrialist by being clueless." Said Shepard factually.

Once Anderson shook off Shepard's shocking statement, he continued his dialog," Then you already know the implications of what this means for the Alliance. The last time humanity made a discovery like this, it jumped our technology forward two hundred years. But Eden Prime doesn't have the facilities to handle something like this. We need to bring the beacon back to the Citadel for proper study."

"Obviously, this goes beyond mere human interests, Doctor. This discovery could affect every species in Council Space." Said Nihlus.

"If that is the case then why are we taking it to the galactic center of government?" Asked Shepard.

"What do you mean, Shepard? Do you think we shouldn't?"Asked Nihlus.

"No, we should not. I have not doubts the Citadel is well-equipped to handle it but if we are to maximize the benefits and technological breakthroughs, if any, we need to have it studied in a secret location studied by people who have the experience in decoding its secrets, maximizing its benefits to all races. The Citadel is a remarkable place but it is not a place for a secret of this potential magnitude. The public and the politicians will swoop in on this artifact and significantly prohibit any discoveries we could potentially make." Said Shepard.

Anderson frowned, "We are about to make what could be the biggest discovery in history and you want to keep it a secret? Do you think the council…"

"I agree with the Doctor." Said Nihlus, nodding his approval.

Anderson seemed skeptical," But what other facility could possibly have the resources to research the beacon?"

"The Illuminated Primacy's mobile archaeology station." Said Shepard factually.

"Built by Vulcan Heavy Industries If I am not mistaken." Said Nihlus.

"All the same, we can discuss this further we have obtained the beacon." Said Anderson," I assume you already know the other reason why Nihlus is here?"

"My Spectre evaluation? We have already discussed that." Said Shepard.

"While I have seen your skills myself, I need to create an official repertoire of your skills myself, Doctor. Eden Prime will be the first of several missions together." Said Nihlus.

"You'll be in charge of the ground team. Secure the beacon and get it onto the ship ASAP. Nihlus will accompany you to observe the mission" Explained Captain Anderson.

"Alright," Said Shepard.

"It will be just like Korlus again." Said Nihlus.

"I hope you are joking, Nihlus, because Korlus was like a classical example of Murphy's law, everything that could have possibly happened did happen." Said Shepard.  
"Including improvising Tesla coils for self defense out of several synced starships wrecks." Said Nihlus.

Exasperated Shepard continued," That is beside the point…"

Captain Anderson halted the conversation," In any case, we should be getting close to Eden-"

" _Capatain! We've got a problem."_ Interrupted Flight lieutenant Moreau.

The Captain took point," What's wrong, Joker?"

" _Transmission from Eden Prime, sir. You better see this!"_ Said the Pilot.

"Bring it up on screen." Ordered the Captain.

The central screen in the comm room buzzed to life with gunfire and an unfamiliar pulsing sound that was clearly enemy fire. The frame was temporarily out of focus as the sight of retreating marines. The possessor of the camera was pushed to the ground by another marine in Pink armor. The camera panned from left to right covering the chaos but only the Marines and the blue pulses were seen.

Shepard's suit VI went to work as it noted certain details about the enemy fire especially when it tapped into the comm system subtlety and started to clean up and analyze the footage itself. Shepard focused on the active transmission as it proceeded, while his VI focused on analysis.

A Marine officer entered the transmission's field of vision," _We are under attack! Taking heavy casualties. I repeat: heavy casualties! We can't… argh!... -eed evac! They came out of nowhere. We need-"_ An enemy bolt struck the camera moved in a panicked way as several marines stopped fire to stare at something with awe and fear. Then it panned to an object in the air… like a hand reaching down from the sky with angry red energy arcing around it. The camera shook and died to static.

Shepard switched his glasses to his VI's analysis. It had paused at areas where the enemy fire struck which appeared to be melted. Directed energy fire was immediately eliminated as a possibility due to impractical levels of power demand for handheld weapons. However, as the VI slowed the frames for Shepard he noted how the cyan blasts seemed to emit a discharge upon contact. _Charged particles that destabilizes and discharge upon contact? Brilliant. So I would needs something to disrupt the particle prior to impact…_

"Reverse and hold at 38.5." Ordered Anderson and the screen focuses on the unusual ship was roughly shaped like a hand. Shepard's analysis was inconclusive due to a lack of data. The Duren'sez was experimenting with the capacity for a dreadnought to enter an atmosphere but this was way beyond anything he had seen any ship do.

"Status Report" Ordered the Captain.

" _Seventeen minutes out, Captain. No other Alliance ships in the area."_ Said Joker

"Take us in Joker. Fast and quiet. This mission just got a lot more complicated." Said the Captain.

"A small strike team can move quickly without drawing attention. It's our best chance to secure the beacon." Said Nihlus.

"Grab your gear and meet us in the cargo hold." Said the Captain to Nihlus who promptly left.

"I am sending Kaiden Alenko and Jenkins with you, Doctor. They will follow your orders just like when you were in the Alliance." Said the Captain to Shepard.

"Not exactly ideal circumstances but I guess I am being assessed for my ability to deal with the unexpected not presets." Said Shepard as he looked at the Captain.

"Did you bring any equipment, Shepard." Asked Anderson.

"Please…" Said Shepard as he put his top hat on,"... who do you think you are dealing with?" Several pieces of interlocking plates and wires moved between the hat and the exoskeletal armor to form a faceless mask with two goggle-like eyes.

"Shall we go?" Asked Shepard.


End file.
